


love always

by inkchantress



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Brain Damage, Gen, I Made Myself Cry, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Loss of Limbs, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Mentioned Gabriel Agreste, Mentioned Nathalie Sancoeur, Mentioned Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, Psychological Trauma, Texting, The Ladyblog, Trauma, alya is Coping, and we love her for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:22:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23700778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkchantress/pseuds/inkchantress
Summary: Exactly one week after Papillon is defeated and Ladybug and Chat Noir disappear, Alya Césaire receives an email.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 60
Kudos: 286





	love always

**To:** The Ladyblog (ladyblogofficial@mail.com )

 **From:** user25913@mail.com 

**March 16, 2025** (7 days ago)

 **Subject:** Thank you

If you’re reading this, please post this video on the Ladyblog.

_ goodbye.mov _

You have been a fantastic Rena Rouge and an even better best friend. Just wanted to put this out there in case anything goes wrong tomorrow.

Love always.

_[This is an automated reply compiled 7 days ago and programmed to send to you today.]_

* * *

**The Ladyblog**

**_Paris’ #1 coverage of your favorite superheroes!_ **

_Created by Alya June Césaire_

**March 23, 2025**

By now, practically all of Paris has heard about the famous defeat of Papillon, otherwise known as Gabriel Agreste. Last Saturday in the early afternoon, Papillon re-created his Scarlet Moth army for another attempt at Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous. Thankfully, the heroes called upon their closest friends--Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Queen Bee (aka Chloé Bourgeois), and an epic battle of akumas ensued. (You can read the full story of the final battle  here.) Mayor Bourgeois has declared a national holiday in these heroes’ honor, and March 17th is henceforth known as ‘Superhero Day’, a tribute to the heroes who have carried our city and our country for these past four years.

However, many have been asking the question: Where are Ladybug, Chat Noir, and the rest of the heroes now? There has been no official word yet from any of the superheroes regarding Papillon’s defeat, and their current whereabouts are unknown. The last official footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir is right before the explosion that cost many akuma victims their lives, and it was Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee who are seen capturing Papillon’s miraculous and handing him over to the authorities.

Ladybug, Chat Noir, Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Queen Bee will be known as the superhero team who saved the city of Paris and possibly the world. After they took Papillon into custody, Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee were admitted to a hospital, where they suffered varying levels of injury from said explosion. Carapace lost his right arm at the shoulder and Queen Bee suffered severe brain damage. However, until now, no one had heard anything from Ladybug nor Chat Noir.

Early this morning I received a video message from Ladybug. She wanted all of Paris to see it and know what happened. This is the video, in full:

_goodbye.mov_

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was my best friend, and Adrien Agreste was also a close friend. They gave their lives to save the city of Paris from the villain Papillon and dedicated themselves so that no city would ever be threatened by such menace again. They kept their identities secret, even from their friends and family, and fought valiantly in the final battle. They will forever be remembered as the greatest heroes this city has ever seen.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Marinette and Adrien. Juleka Couffaine, Rose Lavaillant, and Mylène Haprèle have started the Marinette and Adrien Foundation (link here) and are accepting donations to support them during this difficult time.

This has been a time of struggle and grief for all of us, and while we celebrate the liberation of Paris from the evil clutches of Papillon, let us remember the sacrifices that so many citizens made to save this city, and the two teenagers who lay down their lives for this city. They were seventeen when they died for Paris, and we will remember them every Superhero Day, every year, every month, every day.

Dear Marinette and Adrien: from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I love you both more than words can describe.

Love always.

_Alya June Césaire (Rena Rouge)_

**Comments**

**ladybuglover2625:** rest in peace ladybug and chat noir. fly high. i can’t even begin to describe how hard this hits me

 **anniekins:** i’m sobbing so hard please tell me this is a joke

 **chatnoirmakesgoodpuns:** rest easy marinette and adrien. i’m so sorry for your loss alya

 **renafan973:** wait does this mean that alya was rena rouge this whole time

> **renarougeiscool:** wait holy shit you’re right

**ladyblogggg:** i was an akuma victim a couple of years back when they were just starting out. they saved my life, and countless others too. i love you ladybug

 **faxnoprinter:** this is fake. it’s been a whole week. we would have known before this. there’s no way this is real

> **julekaa:** it’s real
> 
> **rosie:** it’s real
> 
> **djnino:** it’s real
> 
> **myleneh:** it’s real
> 
> **kimk:** it’s real
> 
> **faxnoprinter:** ok then tell me why it’s not on any of the main news sites
> 
> **kimk:** give it a day

**randomlolol:** carapace is my favorite superhero get well soon!!!

 **hannahwithanh:** holy shit

 **xx_pegasusfan_xx:** so wait if adrien agreste is chat noir and gabriel agreste is papillon does that mean that gabriel agreste has tried to kill his own son on multiple occasions

> **potatolemon:** that’s fucked up

**ladybugismyhero:** my thoughts and prayers to the dupain-cheng and agreste families.

 **like_in_the_books:** wait if alya is rena rouge who is carapace

 **number.one.ladynoir.stan:** oh my god this is so sad. rest easy marinette and adrien, you will be missed

 **lemonlimesoda:** hold up what kind of brain injuries did queen bee end up with?????

 **papillon.sucks:** gabriel agreste deserves the death penalty

 **rosie:** rest easy angels. i love you both.

 **brina_rainstorm:** rest in peace marinette and adrien

 **pineapple_pal:** my thoughts are with the friends and family of marinette and adrien. may the deeds you did for this city never be forgotten.

**See related articles:**

Ladybug and Chat Noir Memorial (Gallery) - Mar 25, 2025 

Offerings Left on the Superhero Statue (Gallery) - Mar 26, 2025 

The Full Story of Papillon’s Defeat - Mar 18, 2025 

Buy Ladyblog-Brand Superhero Merchandise here 

* * *

**Youtube**

**Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Official Last Words to Paris**

_Uploaded on March 24, 2025 at 1:33 AM by Official Ladyblog (verified account)_

_goodbye.mov_

[Video description:

The video starts with Chat Noir’s face in the frame, sticking out his tongue in concentration. There are sounds of rustling, and the camera shakes. He’s trying to prop it up against something.

“Have you got it?” says Ladybug’s voice off-screen.

Chat Noir turns his head to the left. “Almost,” he replies. 

The camera steadies, and he’s propped it up against something on the ground. He sets it down steadily and backs away. The background begins to come into view--they’re outside, standing in front of a tall gate guarding a building that is clearly Agreste manor.

“I’ve got it,” Chat Noir says.

“Good,” says Ladybug’s voice. She walks onscreen and takes his hand, and both of them face the camera and take a big breath.

“Greetings, people of Paris,” she begins. There’s something almost sad in her voice. “If you are watching this, we are dead.”

They stand like that for a second, letting that sentence sink in, and then Chat Noir speaks. “Ladybug and I have discovered Papillon’s identity,” he says, and Ladybug squeezes his hand. He has to take a big breath before continuing. “We are going to confront him tomorrow. We expect there’ll be a battle, and we’re making this in case one or both of us doesn’t make it out alive.”

Ladybug threads her fingers through his. “I have spent four years relentlessly protecting this city with everything that I have,” she says. “I love Paris and everyone in it, and I am prepared to die if it means that you all will be safe.”

Chat Noir seems to be unable to follow this up. He frowns for a second. “Ditto,” he says.

Ladybug laughs and nudges him. “He means it. We love the city of Paris with all of our being. And we will not go down without a fight.”

“We intend to defeat Papillon tomorrow and turn in him and his miraculous over to the authorities,” says Chat Noir. “But... just in case, if we don’t make it... he is--”

He chokes, swallows, and tries again. “Papillon is--”

Ladybug squeezes his hand.

This appears to give him courage. He swallows. “Papillon is Gabriel Agreste. If we don’t make it, we want the whole city of Paris to know that.”

“Yes,” agrees Ladybug.

Chat Noir bites his lip, but his sharp teeth break the skin, and a trickle of blood runs down his chin. Ladybug looks up at him, concerned. She swipes a thumb across his face. “I told you to stop doing that,” she says. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

“I know,” he replies.

Ladybug looks straight into the camera. Her unsettlingly large blue eyes give the impression that she’s looking right at the viewer. “I love you. Each and every one of you. And Chat Noir and I will fight for you every way that we can. We will fight until our dying breath. We made that promise when we were thirteen years old and we will make it again and again.”

“And--there’s something else that we want you to know,” says Chat Noir. “If we are to die fighting Papillon, we want you to know who was hiding behind the mask of the superheroes you loved and trusted all of these years. We want you to know who is promising to protect you and serve you forever. We want to tell you our identities.”

Ladybug nods. He presses his forehead to hers, and they stand there for a couple of seconds, unmoving, eyes closed and foreheads pressed together, tears streaming down their cheeks. It’s an incredibly moving scene.

“Are you ready?” she asks.

“Ready,” he replies.

“Me and you against the rest of the world.”

“Forever and always.”

“Detransformation,” whispers Ladybug, and her transformation drops to reveal a girl in bright pink cuffed jeans and a gray cardigan over a white shirt, embroidered with flowers. She has light freckles on her cheeks and her hair is tied into two pigtails, reminiscent of Ladybug’s.

“Detransformation,” echoes Chat Noir, and his transformation drops as well, revealing a boy in a white vest and a dark gray striped shirt, green jeans going down to his orange sneakers. His hair is blond and slightly messy.

The girl turns toward the camera. “You all know me as Ladybug,” she says, “but my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I am seventeen years old and I have been defending you against akumas since I was thirteen. I swear I will protect and serve Paris for the duration of my life, however long that life may be.”

The boy takes Marinette’s hand and turns toward the camera as well. “I am Chat Noir,” he announces, “and my name is Adrien Agreste. I am seventeen years old. Papillon is my father. I had no knowledge of this until two days ago. Despite this, I promise to do whatever it takes to protect my city and the people who live in it, whatever--” He pauses. “Whatever the cost.”

“As long as we stay connected,” says Marinette, getting into her stride now, “as long as we trust each other, as long as we are united, no toddler in a pathetic butterfly costume will ever get through to us. We will prevail.”

“We are all heroes,” adds Adrien, emotion in his voice. “Each and every one of us. I know it sounds cliché--”

Marinette nudges him, and he grins sheepishly at her.

“--but it’s true. What makes you a hero isn’t a costume--anyone can wear the mask. It’s courage, determination, and loyalty that count. All of us are heroes. Remember that.”

They stand there for a minute, swept away in the moment, and then Marinette seizes his face in her hands and kisses him, on camera. It’s quite sudden and emotional, like she really believes this is the last time she’ll get to do it. They hold it for a few seconds, eyes closed, arms around each other, before breaking away.

Marinette looks into the camera. “We love you, people of Paris. We always will. Thank you for all you have done for us. We’ll never forget it.”

Adrien kisses his palm and blows it in the direction of the camera, winking. “Love you, Paris! And to all my fans--” he does a very Chat Noir-style bow to the camera-- “--love you, especially.”

Marinette shoves him playfully, and they both laugh. They stand there together for a second, swaying in the wind, and then Adrien goes to pick up the camera.

“Did I do okay?” he says.

“Perfect,” says Marinette’s voice, off-screen.

He grins. “Love you, bugaboo.”

“Love always.”

Adrien picks up the camera and gives one last wave before ending the video.]

Caption: We will always love you. Thank you endlessly.

Love, Paris.

_3.1M likes / 137K dislikes_

_The comment section has been disabled for this video_

**Recommended videos:**

Mayor Bourgeois Announces Superhero Holiday | News Network 

Confessions of an Ex-Villain: Testimonies of Akumatized People Saved by Heroes 

I GOT TURNED INTO A SCARLET AKUMA??? STORY TIME (Emotional) 

The Full Report on the Final Battle | Nadja Chamack and Prime Time 

Ladybug and Chat Noir release heartbreaking goodbye video: “All of us are heroes” 

* * *

  
  


**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**Mar 24, 8:32 AM**

**Me:** _Link: Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Official Last Words to Paris (via Youtube)_

**Me:** i uploaded it

 **Me:** it went viral, both on the ladyblog and on youtube

 **Me:** you should have seen the statue of you and adrien in the park

 **Me:** it’s so covered with gifts i can barely see your faces anymore

 **Me:** the other day I went back just to look and there were so many flowers

 **Me:** i saw a children’s drawing in crayon of you and him labelled “we miss you”

 **Me:** it was adorable

 **Me:** everyone misses you like crazy mari

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**Mar 26, 4:49 PM**

**Me:** nino’s in the hospital. they had to take his arm off. they’re getting him a prosthetic

 **Me:** he won’t stop making arm puns

 **Me:** it’s what adrien would have wanted

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**Mar 29, 2:25 AM**

**Me:** somehow i feel like i don’t deserve to just walk away like i did

 **Me:** we all got damaged but i’m the only one who recovered

 **Me:** nino’s down an arm

 **Me:** they say chloé will never be the same again

 **Me:** and you and adrien...

 **Me:** well.

 **Me:** but i’m still here

 **Me:** not good as new

 **Me:** i’ve got scars of course, enough that i get a lot of stares

 **Me:** but i didn't wind up nearly as bad as everyone else

 **Me:** it’s almost like i didn’t deserve to get off that easy

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**Apr 04, 3:05 PM**

**Me:** i take photos now

 **Me:** of everything

 **Me:** everything reminds me of you

 **Me:** i’ve filled up twelve disposable cameras and counting, just of things that remind me of marinette dupain-cheng and/or adrien agreste

 **Me:** a lot of them are pictures of your various statues and memorials

 **Me:** but i saw a bluebell flower and it reminded me of you so i had to take a picture

 **Me:** i have one camera just full of pictures of your balcony and where you used to sit at school

 **Me:** last time i came over your mom gave me your design sketchbook so i could take pictures of it

 **Me:** i don’t think she understood why, exactly, but she let me do it nonetheless

 **Me:** she’s a patient woman, sabine cheng 

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**Apr 10, 1:17 AM**

**Me:** it’s one am and i am sobbing

 **Me:** i’ve called you thirty-two times and you haven’t picked up

 **Me:** and it feels like you never will

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**Apr 18, 11:22 PM**

**Me:** they had a memorial service for you yesterday in the place de concorde

 **Me:** i spoke at it

 **Me:** there were so many people there, so many candles floating

 **Me:** it went for miles

 **Me:** i broke down in the middle of my speech and had to leave because i kept seeing you everywhere

 **Me:** i miss you so much, mari

 **Me:** come back

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**Apr 26, 3:41 AM**

**Me:** i always loved you

 **Me:** just thought you should know

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**May 02, 5:11 PM**

**Me:** i still can’t believe you’re ladybug

 **Me:** every time i talked about her to you

 **Me:** every time i fangirled over her to you

 **Me:** i cant believe you didn’t live to see me figure it out

 **Me:** i cant believe i found out because of your last words

 **Me:** how fucked up is that??

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**May 08, 10:19 PM**

**Me:** i visited chloé today for the first time since the accident

 **Me:** you’d be proud of me

 **Me:** she was asleep when i came in so i left the flowers on her side table

 **Me:** even when chloé was a total bitch to you, you still managed to be nice to her somehow

 **Me:** i never understood that

 **Me:** now i get that it was ladybug talking

 **Me:** but i guess a bit of it rubbed off on me 

**Me:** because i’m actually being nice to chloé now

 **Me:** can you believe it??? me??? NICE??? to chloé bourgeois?????

 **Me:** me neither

 **Me:** it’s kinda fucked that it took this long

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**May 13, 11:07 PM**

**Me:** you were turning down chat for adrien and he was turning you down for ladybug

 **Me:** that’s some next level mind bs

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**May 19, 8:34 PM**

**Me:** nino says hi

**Message - blueberry mari, me**

**May 28, 5:45 PM**

**Me:** took a superhero house tour today

 **Me:** i don’t know why

 **Me:** maybe because i’m the only one of the five of us who still can

 **Me:** started with nino’s apartment. his mom said hi to me and fed me lunch. we talked for a bit and tried to pretend like everything was ok

 **Me:** god the way i talked to her

 **Me:** it was so messed up

 **Me:** we talked about the weather and how i’ll be going into senior year soon and how chris likes to play video games

 **Me:** we didn’t mention how her son is going to be part robot in a week or how both of our best friends are dead

 **Me:** went to the hotel next

 **Me:** andre bourgeois almost didn’t let me in

 **Me:** and even then i only stayed for a lemonade and then left

 **Me:** i got the weirdest vibes

 **Me:** it was like everyone was there around me, but i was alone

 **Me:** it made me so incomprehensibly sad

 **Me:** i visited agreste manor next. as of now it’s confusing as to who has ownership of it because emilie and adrien are dead and gabriel’s not in a position to claim it

 **Me:** they say it’s been temporarily repossessed by nathalie, their family assistant

 **Me:** i didn’t even ring the doorbell. i knew they weren’t going to let me in

 **Me:** it’s still crawling with police

 **Me:** they’re still trying to find emilies body

 **Me:** god, marinette

 **Me:** how utterly fucked is that?? hiding a body on your property???? like some kind of evil supervillain???

 **Me:** i didnt go in

 **Me:** i couldn’t bring myself to

 **Me:** i looked at the window where adrien slept and thought how terribly lonely he must have been all these years

 **Me:** i went to your bakery last

 **Me:** your dad has been giving me free croissants every day since the incident

 **Me:** even though the bakery is technically closed

 **Me:** i’m their only customer

 **Me:** i went into your room and just sat on your balcony and watched the clouds go by

 **Me:** it was weirdly therapeutic

 **Me:** don’t get me wrong though i hated every minute of it

 **Me:** it was excruciating

 **Me:** but i did it because i deserve it

 **Me:** also it’s the kind of pain that’s strangely not painful. like lying on your back after a long day and realizing how much your back hurt all day and just feeling it seep out of you

 **Me:** i’m in the park now. just bought some flowers and i’m making a flower crown to put on your heads.

 **Me:** i got you lotuses and adrien buttercups

 **Me:** _Attachment: 1 Image_

 **Me:** you look beautiful

 **Me:** both of you do

**Message- blueberry mari, me**

**Jun 04, 12:07 AM**

**Me:** i miss you

 **Me:** i will miss you every day for the rest of my life, marinette dupain-cheng

 **Me:** love always.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry  
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!  
> you can find me on tumblr: i have a [miraculous blog](https://carapeace.tumblr.com/) and a [writeblr](https://inkchantress.tumblr.com/)  
> thank you to the wonderful @insomnia_baby for beta reading this!!! It meant the world to me ❤︎


End file.
